Nostalgia as a Coping Mechanism in NoViolet Bulawayo’s We Need New Names

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English Dept., Faculty of Al-Alsun, Minia University, Minia, Egypt

Abstract

This paper explores how NoViolet Bulawayo’s We Need New Names shows nostalgia as a means of coping with acculturative stress. It draws on the studies of social and cross-cultural psychology within the framework of migration, acculturation, acculturative stress and nostalgia to examine what happens to the protagonist who was raised in one cultural setting, i.e. Zimbabwe, when she tries to re-establish her life in another setting, i.e. U.S.A. In her efforts to integrate in the dominant society, Darling encounters alienation, Racism, stereotyping and identity crisis. A subsequent psychological effect of these harsh conditions is acculturative stress, which has negative consequences for her psychological well-being. By a close reading of the novel, I argue, against the prevailing perception, that nostalgia serves as a coping mechanism in the face of the acculturative stress of the protagonist by stimulating positive influence. Moreover, I observe that nostalgia not only helps the protagonist in maintaining self-esteem and developing social awareness of the world, but also contributes in developing her integrated identity that will assist her in the process of adaptation.
 
 

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